It seems like forever ago, I randomly bought a wedge of brie on an impulse. My husband was out of town, and I was looking forward to a night of chick flicks and indulgent food. Brie looked like it would do the job nicely.

Later that night I stood in my kitchen, brie in hand, and realized that I had NO IDEA how to prepare brie. Rind? No rind? Do you eat it with a spoon? Cut it up and put it on crackers? Take a bite right out of the wedge?

So I put a query out on Instagram, and one of the suggestions was to simply chop it, sprinkle it with brown sugar and pecans, and pop it in the microwave for a quick melt. That night I ate it spread on top of fresh slices of french bread, and it was divine. (You can find a slight variation on that recipe here).

I absolutely fell in love with the flavors of brown sugar and brie cheese. So simple, yet so unbelievably good.

This Pecan Praline Baked Brie may actually be my favorite brie recipe to date. With brie, I believe less is more (and by less, I’m referring to ingredients, NOT the quantity!). The simplicity of this baked brie really allows each flavor to shine, and I just know you are going to love it.

Plus, it’s really very beautiful, isn’t it? Perfect for entertaining… or for a night on the couch with chick flicks :)

I recently discovered Nonni’s Thin Addictives in Cranberry and Pistachio, and they are my new favorite brie accessories! They taste just like super thin pieces of biscotti. But if you can’t get your hands on them, there are a lot of great options for brie dippers such as pie crust, ritz crackers, rolls, french bread, and a spoon… just to name a few!

1 8-ounce wheel brie cheese (anywhere from 6-ounces to 12-ounces will work just fine)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Over medium-high heat melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Mix in the brown sugar and stir for a minute (the sugar may not completely dissolve, but you want it to be less granular before you add the cream).

Whisk in the heavy whipping cream and gently stir until mixture starts to bubble around the edges.

Allow to bubble without stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in baking soda and remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10-20 minutes. It will thicken as it nears room temperature.

While the praline sauce is cooling, bake the brie: place the wheel of brie (rind on) in a small baking dish or ramekin.*

Bake cheese for 15 minutes or until it feels very soft (like the inside is melted) when you push gently on the top.

Remove from oven and transfer to serving dish if desired.*

Place pecans on top of the wheel, and pour 1/2 cup - 1 cup of the praline sauce over top (depending on how large your wheel is).**

Notes

*As long as the rind is completely covering the cheese inside (look out for spots where the rind is so thin you can see the cheese), you will be able to move the wheel from it's baking dish to a separate serving platter if you desire. Simply place wheel on parchment paper in baking dish for an easy transfer.

**There will be caramel sauce left over. Store covered in refrigerator and heat to serve over ice cream, brownies, or anything else!

Don’t miss a bite!

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Ashton Swank

Ashton is the owner and author of Something Swanky. Although first and foremost a wife and mother, she considers herself an online entrepreneur, freelance writer and photographer, and brand ambassador. Her focus is in food styling, food photography and recipe development.

9 comments on “Pecan Praline Baked Brie”

You’re like the 3rd blog in the past 24 hours that I read that has had some baked brie on it…but girl, you get the blue ribbon on this one! WHOA. The praline sauce. Die and go to heaven. I need that. Pinned

I’ve been looking for a new Christmas appetizer and this looks like the winner. Quick question…do you remove the rind after you’ve transferred to a serving platter following baking it? I can’t wait to try this!

I used salted organic butter, since it wasn’t specified. I think the salt cut the sweetness perfectly for me. Baked for 12 minutes with rind, then topped with praline, transported on covered cheese dish, was still warm 20 minutes later and folks scooped it out with granny smith apples and bosc pear slices. DELICIOUS!!!

Ashton, this was absolutely delicious! Everyone enjoyed it, even my hubby who isn’t crazy about Brie. Ever the lily gilder, I poured all of the sauce on my Brie wheel. :) Since I have a wheat allergy, I served it with apple slices and Nut Thins, although I think it would be fabulous on the Nonni’s Thin Addictives.
This will be a go-to appetizer for me.

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